Troops Surround Algerian Gas Field in Hostage Crisis

(Newser) ? Some 35 hostages and 15 Islamist militants in the Algerian crisis have reportedly been killed in a helicopter attack launched by the Algerian government. Al-Jazeera reports that the dead include lead kidnapper Abu Al Baraa, and that the deaths came as they were attempting to change locations today. The toll was released by the militants, but reports are conflicting: the AP earlier reported that 20 foreigners had escaped the gas facility, and that a total of 41 were being held, reports Sky News, including American, British, Japanese, French, and Norwegian nationals. But 150 Algerian workers were also being held, 30 of whom were earlier reported by Reuters to have been released. CNN reports that the militants had initially sought safe passage to Libya, which is 40 miles away from the facility, but an Algerian official said no dice: "We have received their demands, but we didn't respond to them."

More details of the initial attack by Algerian kidnappers have emerged: The "terrorist group" attacked workers as they rode a bus early yesterday. A police escort stepped in, but two people were killed and several wounded in the showdown. Militants then headed for the gas field, where "they've been facing off" with military and security personnel, the official says. While the attackers say they're responding to France's actions in Mali, British foreign secretary William Hague has raised doubts: "That is a convenient excuse, but usually operations like this take longer to plan." Still, the crisis could be a bad omen for similar attacks across the region, notes the Guardian.

Source: http://www.newser.com/story/161127/troops-surround-algerian-gas-field-in-hostage-crisis.html

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